More than 45 lawmakers and officials privately expressed concerns to the Wall Street Journal about declines in President Biden’s mental acuity since taking office.
They described him losing his train of thought, relying heavily on notecards, and speaking incoherently at times.
While many sources were Republican, some Democrats also voiced criticism before being warned by the White House.
Former Speaker Kevin McCarthy lamented a lack of intensity from Biden in debt negotiations, saying he would ramble and had to be reminded of prior discussions.
“He would ramble,” McCarthy said. “He always had cards. He couldn’t negotiate another way.”
“On that phone call, he was more with it than any other time,” McCarthy said.
“He was going back to all the old stuff that had been done for a long time,” McCarthy added. “And he was shocked when I’d say: ‘No, Mr. President. We talked about that meetings ago. We are done with that.’”
“I used to meet with him when he was vice president. I’d go to his house. He’s not the same person,” McCarthy said.
The White House defended Biden and disputed characterizations, but did not fully address specific concerns raised about his behavior and enunciation in meetings.
“Congressional Republicans, foreign leaders and nonpartisan national-security experts have made clear in their own words that President Biden is a savvy and effective leader who has a deep record of legislative accomplishment Now, in 2024, House Republicans are making false claims as a political tactic that flatly contradict previous statements made by themselves and their colleagues,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said.
